Zhumasapar Dadebayev
Dadebayev is an ethnic Turkmen civic activist and blogger originally from the Saraykol area (now Takhtakopir region) of Karakalpakstan. He had been living in Istanbul, Turkey since 2018, where he advocated for greater autonomy or sovereignty for Karakalpakstan and identified himself as founder of a political initiative (Dostluk Party) representing Turkmens of Karakalpakstan.
Imprisoned to 12 years and serving his sentence in maximum security prison 11 in Navoi, Uzbekistan.
A broad set of criminal charges were brought against him under the Uzbek Criminal Code, including:
Article 155 Part 1 (terrorism)
Article 156 Part 2 (incitement of ethnic/religious hatred)
Article 158 Part 3 (public insult against the President)
Article 159 (conspiracy to seize power / public calls for unconstitutional change)
Article 215 (desecration of state symbols)
Articles 244 Part 3, 244-1 Part 3, and 244-2 Part 1 (involving public disorder, production/distribution of threatening materials, and participation in extremist organisations)
Libel and insult provisions (Articles 139 and 140).
On 10 January 2022, while in the suburbs of Istanbul, he was detained and forcibly transferred to Uzbekistan in an operation believed to involve Uzbek special services. He was then detained upon arrival at Tashkent International Airport on 12 January 2022. On 10 August 2022, the Mirzo-Ulugbek District Court in Tashkent convicted him and sentenced him to 12 years in a penal colony. His appeal was rejected by the Tashkent City Court on 27 October 2022, upholding the original sentence. The charges against Dadebayev especially those relating to terrorism, incitement of ethnic or religious hatred, participation in extremist organisations, and conspiracy to seize power are connected to his online activism and public support for Karakalpakstan’s sovereignty rather than evidence of violent actions. Dadebayev’s charges politically motivated. His trial was closed to the public, which limited transparency and independent scrutiny of the evidence and proceedings.
Zhumasapar Dadebayev is serving a 12-year prison sentence in maximum security prison 11 in Navoi, Uzbekistan. Dadebayev has been held in harsh detention conditions, including periods in solitary confinement. Prison authorities have subjected him to pressure and punitive treatment, and that independent monitoring of his detention conditions is not permitted.
Dadebayev has been subjected to beatings and other forms of ill-treatment in custody, leading to a serious deterioration in his health. As a result of alleged torture and abuse by prison staff, he was reportedly hospitalized in a specialized prison medical facility. No independent medical examination results have been made public, and authorities have not provided transparent information about his current medical condition, raising serious concerns about his safety and well-being.
